Joshua fought the battle of Jericho, Jericho, Jericho. Joshua fought the battle of Jericho
and the walls came a-tumbling down. You may talk about your men of Gideon, you may talk about the
men of Saul, but there's none like good old Joshua at the battle of Jericho. He was certainly there.
It's a well-known African-American song. It's a great song and it's a fun children's song and
you'll probably go out of here singing it tonight. So bad luck, there you go. But the problem is when
you get to Joshua 6 and you read about the destruction of Jericho, you soon realise that
Joshua 6 does not give Joshua the glory for this battle and for this victory. It lies very much
in the Lord's hands and that's what we're going to see as we go through this message tonight.
The scene is set at the end of Joshua 5, which we didn't read. We read a few weeks ago.
There's a vision. So I hope you've got your Bibles open. If you're looking at the end of Joshua 5 and
into Joshua 6, that's where I'm speaking from, the commander of the Lord's armies appears
to Joshua and a sword is in his hand and he looks really intimidating. He's ready for a fight,
but so is Joshua. And Joshua asks him a really bold question. Whose side are you on? Us or our enemies?
And God's answer to him is neither.
Yahweh, the Lord God, has a message for you. Get your shoes off. You're standing in a holy place.
It's a holy place because he's in the presence of God and Joshua is having something like the same
experience that the former leader Moses had had when he encountered God at the burning bush.
Get your feet off. Get your sandals off. This is holy ground to be standing in my presence.
And you see here that God is holy and he demands our respect whether you believe in him or not.
He doesn't play favourites. Everybody's accountable to him.
God's people are about to completely devastate St. Jericho.
So the end of the story, you get, this is the end of the story. I'm going to give it to you right now.
Verse 24. They burned the whole city and everything in it and they put the silver and the gold and the articles of bronze and iron into the treasury of the Lord's house.
And what we read is a story where women and boys and girls and animals are completely obliterated by the people of God.
So think for a moment and feel the severity of what is going on here.
Australians go to war against nations who do such things.
At the moment we have troops fighting in Iraq against ISIS.
We participate in the United Nations humanitarian missions to protect vulnerable people groups who are attacked by other nations that have genocidal intentions.
We fight about these things.
And here we have it in the Old Testament part of the Bible.
How do we reconcile God being behind a genocide?
I had a conversation with somebody earlier in the day and they were talking to somebody after one of the services this morning.
And the way they dealt with it is to say we don't want to know too much about the Old Testament because it's a different God in the Old Testament to the God that we encounter in the New Testament.
And that is absolutely not true.
Back in Genesis, God made promises to Abraham.
In Genesis 15, as the sun was setting, Abraham fell into a deep sleep and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him.
And then the Lord said to him,
Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own,
and they will be enslaved and they'll be mistreated for 400 years.
But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves,
and afterwards they will come out with great possessions.
You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a good old age.
But in the fourth generation, your descendants will come back here.
For the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.
The sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.
And so you start to see that this is not about genocide,
and it's not about favouritism.
This is about the judgment of God who doesn't play favourites.
The time has come for the Amorite citizens of Jericho to be judged for their rejection of God.
God has been patient and forbearing for hundreds of years,
and time is now up and his judgment is about to fall on them.
Now if you think that's unfair,
then we could look further ahead in the Bible
and see that God would later do the same thing with his own people.
He will send them into exile from the Promised Land
because God does not play favourites.
So the commander of the Lord's army
is both a comfort and a warning to Joshua.
Comfort in that God is leading them to what will be
a heartening, breathtaking victory,
but a warning in that God is king.
He doesn't play favourites.
If the people of God turn away from him,
there will be no special pleading.
We will all come under his judgment.
So the commander brings this message of great reassurance.
Verse 2, chapter 6.
See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands
along with its king and its fighting men.
The Lord will win the battle of Jericho.
He is holy.
He is the sovereign king.
Joshua is about to participate in God's victory.
And so the really important question is not what Joshua asked,
which is, whose side are you on God?
He is Lord and God and king.
He doesn't answer to us.
We are accountable to him.
And so the question is,
are we giving ourselves to his purposes?
Are we on his side?
Do we care and participate in his mission
to bring men and women and boys and girls into his kingdom
to live for Christ as the redeemed people of God in the world,
which is what he calls us to be?
The last words of Jesus to his disciples at the end of Matthew,
are going to all the world and make disciples of all nations,
baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit.
And lo, I am with you always until the very end of the age.
We have been given a very clear mission from God.
And wind the clock back 1,400 years to Joshua,
he is being given a very clear mission by God
to enter and conquer the land,
to lead the people of God into the place
where they can live and enjoy life as his people,
to begin to enjoy his salvation.
St. Paul's vision is to know,
to treasure and to represent Jesus.
And in a way, it's an expression of Matthew 28.
It reminds us that we are saved for a purpose
and God graciously saves us
and allows us to participate in his work in this world.
So for the Israelites, Joshua 6,
the current mission is Jericho.
It's mission impossible.
It's fortress Jericho.
The city's closed up.
The mighty walls seem impenetrable.
And from a human point of view,
this is just impossible.
But the Lord speaks to Joshua
and reassures him saying,
verse 2,
I have delivered Jericho into your hands
along with its king and its fighting men.
And so God gives,
right through the early chapters of Joshua,
he's giving Joshua reassurance after reassurance
as they step into this fearsome land,
into this land of the giants.
And as they come into the land
and as they begin to participate
in the first fight to take control,
this first victory will be the Lord's.
So the verse of our series,
Joshua chapter 1, verse 9,
God's been preparing him.
Have I not commanded you?
Be strong and courageous.
Do not be terrified.
Do not be discouraged.
For the Lord your God
will be with you wherever you go.
And then in chapter 2,
Rahab's revelation,
which was there to encourage the spies,
I know that the Lord has given this land to you
and that a great fear of you has fallen on us
so that all who live in this country
are melting in fear because of you.
When we heard of it,
our hearts melted
and everyone's courage failed because of you.
For the Lord your God
is God in heaven above
and on the earth below.
So three words of encouragement,
I have delivered Jericho into your hands,
I am with you
and your enemies there melting in fear.
And then God asked Joshua to do something
that seems completely ridiculous.
Parade around the city.
Ark of God out front,
priests blowing trumpets,
do it every day for six days
with all the fighting men,
maybe 600,000 men following behind,
walk in absolute silence
and then on the seventh day,
wear yourselves out,
do it seven times
and wait for my command
and when I say shout,
you shout!
It's a religious parade.
It's like an Anzac Day march, you know.
Thousands of soldiers
and no tools
to be able to breach the city's impregnable walls.
I'm an engineer by background
and I went looking for
the biggest bulldozer in the world the other day
because I wanted a way
to knock down the walls of Jericho
because it could have brought my engineering to be.
Komatsu 575,
they use them in northwest Australia.
Really big
and they can push 45 cubic metres
which is about 100 tonnes of earth
at one time.
And one of those I reckon
would have gone through Jericho's walls
in about 30 minutes.
But Joshua didn't have tools
or capacity like that.
Some of the children's Bibles
and I'm not sure we didn't see it on the screen
a minute ago
showed that the people of Jericho
mocking them as they march.
But the Bible doesn't say that.
600,000 men
marching around the city
six days in a row
in absolute silence
I think would have brought
a sense of fear
and foreboding
to the people
who were behind the walls.
Rahab has already told the spies
that
the hearts
of the people
in the city
were melting
with fear.
So the Ark of the Covenant
is out the front
of this parade
the symbol of God's presence
he had led them
right through the desert
and the priests
a week or two before
had stepped into the Jordan River
in flood
put their feet
into the water
with the river flooding
and God just stopped the river
and the whole nation
walked across
on dry land
into the promised land.
And rather ominously
the Ark of God
is front
centre
out the front again
at Jericho.
So verse 20
when this trumpet
sounded
the people shouted
and at the sound
of the trumpet
and when the people
gave a loud shout
the wall collapsed
so that every man
charged straight in
and they took the city.
God destroyed
an impenetrable
fortress.
They didn't breach
the wall
God did.
It was his victory
he did everything
the people
had the joy
of participating
in the victory
that God
had won
and all glory
to him.
Huge echoes
of this type
of thing
in the New Testament
I'm just going to one
but we could go
to other ones
Ephesians 2
very succinctly
says
it is by grace
you have been saved
through faith
and this not
from yourselves
it's the gift
of God
not by works
so that no one
can boast
for we are
God's workmanship
created in Christ
Jesus
to do good works
which God
prepared in advance
for us to do.
So the cross
of Christ
is all God's
work
it's his
initiative
it's his
kindness
it's his
mercy
it's his
grace
he has
destroyed
the wall
of human
sin
that separates
us from
the love
and the mercy
of God
that stops
us seeing
God for who
he really
is
and quite
remarkably
he brings
us
to a
completely
new life
where we
can live
for Christ
and enjoy
him forever
he allows
us to do
his good
work
so this
whole passage
is about
God's glory
it is about
who he is
and you see
that in chapter
6 verses
17 to 19
the city
and all
that are in
it are to
be devoted
to the
Lord
only Rahab
the prostitute
and all
who are with
her in her
house shall
be spared
because she
hid the
spies
we sent
but keep
away from
the devoted
things so
that you
will not
bring about
your own
destruction
by taking
any of
them
otherwise
you will
make the
camp of
Israel
liable to
destruction
and bring
trouble
on it
all the
silver and
the gold
and the
articles of
bronze and
iron are
sacred to
the Lord
and must
go into
his treasury
and then in
verse 21
they devoted
the city to
the Lord
and they
destroyed
with the
sword
every living
thing in
it
men and
women
young and
old
cattle
sheep
and
donkeys
it's the
moral dilemma
again
it's a
very strange
expression
everything
was devoted
to God
that meant
that every
living thing
was killed
men
women
children
infants
animals
and all
the precious
metal from
the city
into the
treasury
for the
future
building
of a
temple
to God
no
person
would
share in
the spoils
of this
victory
to the
victor
would go
the spoils
this is
the Lord's
victory
and so
all honour
and glory
and praise
to him
because he
is the
unbeatable
foe
now if you
don't have
some moral
discomfort
about this
event
it means
you're really
well taught
or a bit
numb to
something that
you should
have some
feeling about
the
wholesale
slaughter
of a
city
and all
its
people
does not
sit
comfortably
and yet
throughout
the Bible
salvation
and
judgment
always go
hand in
hand
salvation
or rescue
only means
something
when you
understand
what you
have been
rescued
from
and what
you have
been
brought
to
and you
see that
in Joshua
6
in the
face of
God's
judgment
there is
great
mercy
one person
and her
family are
saved
Rahab
the
prostitute
a person
that most
would have
judged as
unworthy
she wasn't
the one
you would
have picked
if you
were lining
up to
find the
one citizen
of Jericho
that we
will save
the woman
of faith
who saw
the hand
of God
at work
who in
chapter 2
had said
to the
spies
the Lord
your God
is God
in heaven
above
and on
the earth
beneath
now then
please
swear to
me
by the
Lord
that you
will
show
kindness
to my
family
because I
have shown
kindness
to you
give me
a sure
sign
that you
will spare
the lives
of my
father
and mother
and my
brothers
and sisters
and all
who belong
to them
that you
will save
us from
death
she
recognised
God
for who
he was
she seized
the moment
she pleaded
for her
safety
and when
the day
of judgment
came
she was
absolutely
safe
one
family
safe
from the
judgment
of God
out of
all the
families
of Jericho
that's
echoed in
other places
in the
Bible
when you
see Abraham
pleading
with God
over the
cities
of Sodom
and Gomorrah
you can't
get much
lower than
Sodom
and Gomorrah
but Abraham
was pleading
that God
wouldn't
destroy
these cities
and in
destroying
the cities
maybe sweep
up some
righteous
people
who didn't
deserve
to die
so he
said if
there's 50
people there
will you
save the
city
yes I'll
save it
40 people
will you
save the
city
yes I'll
save it
30 people
will you
save the
city
yes I'll
save it
20 people
Lord please
forgive me for
asking one
more time
but if there's
10 people in
those cities
will you spare
those cities
and God says
I'll spare
them
but in
in the end
only lot
and two
daughters
walked out
of those
cities
and were
saved
from all
the
inhabitants
of Sodom
and Gomorrah
in Matthew
chapter 7
the Lord
Jesus himself
said
for wide
is the
gate
and broad
is the
road
that leads
to destruction
and many
enter through
it
but small
is the
gate
and narrow
the road
that leads
to life
and only a
few
find it
so the
truth of
the matter
is that
none of
us deserves
to escape
God's
judgment
it is
only by
his
mercy
lots
and lots
of people
in the
world
and around
us
and even
within us
here tonight
have heard
about God's
great news
about the
Lord Jesus
Christ
and they
have chosen
to reject
it
or put
it to
side
and to
ignore it
for the
time being
whatever it
is
but there
is not
another
route
I was
talking to
one of
my friends
recently
he has
a dad
whose
idea of
helping
my friend
his son
to become
a man
when he
was on
the threshold
of adulthood
his dad
brought him
from the
country
brought him
to the
city
took him
to
King's
Cross
paid
for the
strip shows
and the
sex
that was
how he
formed
his boy
and that
is the
baggage
that my
friend
carries
God
in his
mercy
brought
my
friend
to
Christ
even
with
his
distorted
attitudes
to
sex
he
saved
him
from
his
old
life
he
brought
him
to
something
new
his
dad
still
is
a
cranky
old
selfish
self
selfish
sex
obsessed
man
he's
bitter
he's
divisive
to his
children
he's
heard
about
Jesus
and he
refuses
to turn
to him
he is
like a
pig
rolling
in its
own
filth
he
refuses
to reach
out to
the one
who would
rescue
him
and who
would
make
him
clean
but if
he keeps
saying
no to
Jesus
he is
effectively
saying yes
to the
judgment
of God
bring it
on
my
friend
lives
with
grief
and
distress
in his
extended
family
it's
not a
happy
place
but
what a
blessing
that he
has been
brought
to new
life
in his
own
family
the
Lord
Jesus
has been
extremely
gracious
to him
despite
his
brokenness
and sin
he's
been
able to
make
a new
life
with
Christ
walking
away
from
the
darkness
of
the
life
that
his
earthly
father
inducted
him
into
friends
we
haven't
just
been
saved
for
eternity
the
grace
and the
mercy
and the
kindness
of God
means
that we
have been
permitted
to begin
a
completely
new
life
with
him
now
Rahab
was
saved
from
terrible
judgment
she
was set
free
to begin
again
she
was given
a place
amongst
the
people
of
God
and
despite
the
scandal
of her
former
life
she
would
later
be
honored
as
a
woman
of
faith
who
took
her
chance
and
reached
out
and
she
grabbed
the
salvation
that
God
offered
her
she
was
God's
workmanship
recreated
and now
enabled
to do
the
good
works
that
God
had
for
her
to
do
so
what a
hope
we have
in
Christ
doesn't
matter
what
you've
done
or
what
you've
become
it
is
not
too
late
to
turn
to
Christ
to
receive
his
cleansing
forgiveness
to
begin
a
brand
new
life
doing
the
good
things
that
he
has
prepared
in
advance
for
you
to
do
Amen
for
use
of
I
mean